Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) 35

THE LESSER KNOWN CHEMIST- COMPOSERS, PAST AND PRESENT * Leopold May, The Catholic University of America

The most prominent chemist-composer was Alexandre the Society of Arts in 1769 and served on the Polite Arts, P. Borodin (1833-1887), organic chemist, about whom Mechanical Arts, and Chemistry committees. By 1771 much has been written (1). The chemistry and music he was organist at St Mary-at-Hill, Billingsgate, London, of another chemist-composer, Lejaren A. Hiller, Jr., where he remained until his death. (1924-1994), polymer chemist, have been the subject of several publications (2). In addition to Borodin and He was a composer of instrumental and vocal music, Hiller, there were four previous chemist-composers, including a collection of songs, especially those he wrote George Berg, amateur chemist-composer, Sir Edward for entertainments performed at the Marybone, Ranelagh, W. Elgar, amateur chemist-composer, Georges Urbain, Spring Gardens, and other pleasure gardens (entertain- inorganic chemist-composer, and Emil Votoček, organic ment complexes) in London. He published six books of chemist-composer. There are also three contemporary Ranelagh songs; but nothing survives of his operas, his chemist-composers, E. L. Bearer and Morris Kates, both oratorio, The Cure of Saul, or of his ode, The Invitation. biochemists, and Carlo Botteghi, industrial chemist. In 1763 he won a prize with one of his glees, On Softest Their chemistry, music, and short biographies will be Beds. A glee is an unaccompanied song for three or more presented. solo voices in harmony (4). In 1759 he was the first to use the word sonatina in his Twelve Sonatinas or Easy Lessons (6). His galant works are considered cliché (5). Previous Chemist-Composers Galant is a musical style featuring a return to classical simplicity after the complexity of the Baroque era. He George Berg, Amateur Chemist-Composer was best known for his catches and part-songs, many (~1720-1775) (3-5) of which were published in anthologies. Catch is a type Although the exact date is not known, George (or Georg) of round in which the lines of music often interact so Berg was born about 1720 and as some sources suggest that a word or phrase is produced that does not appear in Germany. He was an organist and a teacher of violin if it is sung by only one voice (4). Part-songs written and harpsichord. At the Ranelagh Gardens in the late for multiple voices may be performed with or without 1750s he probably played either the organ or the violin. instrumental or orchestral accompaniment. He also wrote He was elected a member of the Royal Society of Mu- an opera Antigno that was performed at Spring Gardens sicians in 1763, and was listed in Thomas Mortimer's in London in February, 1764. The Universal Director as ‘composer & teacher on the His more than 672 experiments in glassmaking harpsichord, Lincoln's Inn Fields.’ In the same year he were described in his “Experiment Book” (3,4). He was won a gold medal from the Gentlemen and Noblemen’s interested in learning chemistry, as it appears that he had Catch Club (5). Although publication of his songs con- no formal education in chemistry or glassmaking. Other tinued into the nineteenth century, the last book of his objectives of the experiments were to prepare a clear music appeared in 1769. He was elected a member of glass melt, produce colored glass, some of which would 36 Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) be imitations of natural gemstones, and make glasses 38, based on the poem of the same title by Cardinal for enameling metals. He was able to make colored Newman, a Catholic theologian. It relates the journey glasses that could be ground and used to color enameled of a pious man's soul from his deathbed to his judgment wares. He made gem-like glasses, either for the carved before God and his settling into purgatory. In 1899 he or molded “cameos and intaglios” that imitated antique completed the score for Enigma Variations. This was the stones or for the more prosaic false stones set into buck- work that finally secured his reputation as a composer of les, jewelry, picture frames, or other small metal wares. national and international standing. In this piece, fourteen The Falcon, Salpetre Bank, and Whitefriars glasshouses people and one dog are featured. The first twoPomp and allowed him to use their muffle or wind furnaces. These Circumstance Marches were composed in 1901 and the furnaces were found in the workshops of goldsmiths, fifth and last in 1929. About the first march, he appreci- watchmakers, and other artisans who might regularly ated its worth and is quoted as saying: "I've got a tune use enameling colors. He probably used a smaller ver- that will knock 'em - knock 'em flat! … a tune like that sion, a kiln, for most of his experiments. For some of comes once in a lifetime …" Elgar had ‘arrived’ (9). his products, he calculated the proportional gravity ratio of weight of glass in air to its weight in water for some His interest in science, prompted by new technology of his products in 1766. In 1765, Delaval (7) suggested of the gramophone, led him to be the first major composer that proportional gravity or specific gravity was related to to record one of his own works in 1914. He conducted the color of glass. Perhaps Berg did not find this helpful his composition, Carissima, in his first recording at the as he did not use it after this year (3). Gramophone Company on the “His Master’s Voice” label, generally referred to as HMV. The company’s Berg died in 1775, between April 17 and May 4 London studios were located on an upper floor to mini- (3). mize the effect of traffic noise and vibrations. The music was played with only a few instruments that could be clustered close enough to the recording horn. During Sir Edward William Elgar, Amateur Chemist-Composer World War I he wrote patriotic pieces such as WWI. He (1857-1934) (8-10) received many honors, including being created Knight Commander of the Victorian Order (K.C.V.O) in 1928. Edward W. Elgar was born on June After this event, he was known as Sir 2, 1857 in Broadheath, England. His Edward Elgar. father, who with his uncle owned a musical instrument shop, played the One of his other interests was organ at the local Catholic Church. chemistry (11). At his Hereford In addition to the organ, Edward house, Plas Gwyn, he set up a small played the bassoon, piano, and laboratory in the basement. His violin as well as being a conductor. manuscript of the Prelude to The When he was eleven, he wrote tunes Kingdom, dating from January 1906, for a play staged with his siblings, bears the stains of his chemistry which were later published as Wand experiments. In August, 1908 he of Youth Suites. Ten years later, he moved his laboratory to part of an composed Harmony Music Four outhouse. It was called The Ark and Five Intermezzos. In 1879 he because of the nesting of doves in became the conductor of the Worces- the shed, and it had a telephone link ter Amateur Instrumental Society to the house. A story about Elgar’s and bandmaster to the Attendant’s hobby was related by W. H. Reed Orchestra at the Worcestershire (12): County Lunatic Asylum in Powick. One day he made a phosphoric During the 1880s he played Popular Sir Edward William Elgar concoction which, when dry, would Concerts in Birmingham, was a soloist "go off" by spontaneous combustion. at violin recitals for clubs, and taught violin to young The amusement was to smear it on a piece of blotting middle-class ladies. In 1889 he married one of his pupils, paper and then wait breathlessly for the catastrophe. Caroline Alice Roberts. One year later he composed a One day he made too much paste; and, when his music religious composition, The Dream of Gerontius, Opus called him, and he wanted to go back to the house, he Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) 37

clapped the whole of it into a gallipot, covered it up, and dumped it into the water-butt, thinking it would be safe there. Georges Urbain, Inorganic Chemist-Composer (1872- Just as he was getting on famously, writing in horn and 1938) (22,23) trumpet parts, and mapping out wood-wind, a sudden Georges Urbain was born on April 12, 1872 in Paris, and unexpected crash, as of all the percussion in all the France. While he was studying` at the École de Physique orchestras on earth, shook the room, followed by the et Chimie de Paris, he was an assistant in the mineralogy "rushing mighty sound" he had already anticipated in The Kingdom. The water-butt had blown up; the hoops chemistry laboratory where he met Pierre Curie, who were rent; the staves flew in all directions; and the inspired him to make chemical research his life work. liberated water went down the drive in a solid wall. In 1894, after he graduated as an Ingenieur-chimiste, Silence reigned for a few seconds. Then all the dogs in he entered the Faculté des Sciences de Paris, where he Herefordshire gave tongue; and all the doors and win- started research in rare earths in the Laboratory of Organ- dows opened. After a moment's thought, Edward lit his ic Chemistry pipe and strolled down to the gate, andante tranquillo, o f C h a r l e s as if nothing had happened; and the ruined water-butt Friedel. Four and the demolished flower-beds were pre-historic years later he features of the landscape. A neighbour, peeping out received the of his gate, called out, "Did you hear that noise sir: it DSc. After six sounded like an explosion?" "Yes," said Sir Edward, years in indus- "I heard it: where was it?" The neighbour shook his head; and the incident was closed. try, he was ap- pointed Assis- When he moved to London in 1912, he turned to micro- tant Professor scopes to satisfy his scientific curiosity. of Analytical Chemistry at Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), known from alchemical times and variously named sulphur water or “Holy Wa- the Insitut de ter’” (13), stinking sulphurous air (14), hepatic air (15), Chimie, Sor- and—by Lavoisier—as “unknown combination” (16), bonne, Paris. became recognized as an important reagent for inorganic In 1908 he qualitative analysis (17). Elgar was one, although an was promoted amateur chemist, who produced a device to generate to Professor this important reagent, which he knew as sulphuretted of Mineral hydrogen. As he wrote in a letter to August J. Jaeger, C h e m i s t r y. dated November 11, 1908 (10): During World Georges Urbain from (24) War I he was You will perhaps be amused - I hear that the 'new Sul- Director of the Chemical Laboratory of the Technical phuretted Hydrogen Machine designed by Sir Edward Section of the Artillery, a member of Inspection des Elgar' is to be manufactured & called the 'Elgar S.H. Apparatus'!! I will not offer to send you my invention Etudes et Expériences Chimiques de Guerrre, and Presi- - you would soon tire of it - although a nice toy. dent of the Comité Scientifique des Poudres et Explosifs and the Commission de Substances Explosives. In 1928 This toy was “about as small as a hand (finger tip to he became Professor of General Chemistry, Director, wrist).” There is an inner chamber with a small hole at Institut de Chimie de Paris, and Codirector and Director the top connecting it to the outer vessel. “The bottom of the Chemical Service, Insitut de Biologie Physico- of the outer vessel is perforated with a series of about Chimique. 15 small drilled holes” (12, 18). It was made by the firm of Philip Harris (12, 18), and one is kept at Elgar’s He was very popular with the students who “rose birthplace (19). His godsons, Atkins (20) and Kennedy in a body when he entered the room” and “listened with (21) have written that it was patented. Atkins stated that such complete attention that there was not a murmur to it was “in regular use in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, be heard in the class of three hundred fifty students” (23). and elsewhere for many years” (20). For his war service, he was made Chevalier la Legion d’Honneur in 1918 and Commandeur in 1933. In 1921 Elgar died on February 23, 1934. He and his wife he was elected to the Académie des Sciences. He was an had one daughter. Honorary Member of the Chemical Society of London 38 Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) and Corresponding Member of the National Academies degree of Ingenieur (33). Then he continued his studies of Belgium, Spain, and the USSR. He served as president in Germany, first at Mulhouse in Alsace-Lorraine, and a of the French Chemical Society, Société de Chimie, and year later at Georg-August University in Göttingen. He Société de Minéralogie. returned to the Czech Technical University as an Assis- tant in 1895 and was promoted to Docent in 1905. One Urbain was also a musician who played the piano year later he and composed. Some of his compositions included, was appointed A la veillée, Chanson d”Automne, Sur l’herbe, and Extraordinary Magagnose et Dyonisos. In 1924, he wrote the book Le o r A s s o c i - Tombeau d”Aristoxéne. Essai sur la musique, in which ate Professor he applied the scientific method to the study of music of Organic (25). In addition, he was a painter and sculptor. Chemistry and In 1879 Lars F. Nilson separated Marignac's ytter- was promoted bia into scandia and a new ytterbia, which Urbain then to Ordinary separated into neoytterbia and lutecia (ytterbium and an (Full) Profes- unknown element) in 1907. In the same year, K. Auer sor of Inor- von Welsbach reported the spectra and atomic weights of ganic and Or- two elements in ytterbia, which he named after the stars ganic Chem- aldebaranum and cassiopium. Urbain named the ele- istry in 1907. ment lutecium (Roman name for Paris), which was later He served as changed to lutetium. Between 1895 and 1912 he worked Rector of the on the rare earths and performed more than 200,000 frac- U n i v e r s i t y tionations to afford the elements samarium, europium, during 1921- gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, and holmium. In 1911 1922, and in Emil Votoček as Rector of the Czech Urbain had studied element number 72, which he called February, 1939 Technical University from (32) celtium. The discoverers, D. Coster and G. von Hevesy, he was forced however, named it hafnium in 1923. He also discovered to retire by a decree from the Department of Education. the law of optimum phosphorescence of binary systems However, he enrolled as a student so that he could con- and carried out research in isomorphism. He converted tinue his research. After the conquest of Czechoslovakia an analytical balance into a thermobalance before Kotaro by the Germans, the universities were closed by order of Honda and discovered the law governing efflorescence the German occupation officials on November 17, 1939, of hydrates in a dry atmosphere. He also served on the until the country was liberated in 1945. International Commission on Atomic Weights. Although he was regarded as a learned and respected Urbain wrote several books dealing with various professor, he was often hot-tempered and irritable. His chemical topics, spectrochemistry, 1911 (26), chemistry research laboratory was known as “Devil’s Island,” which of complexes with A. Sénéhal, 1913 (27), chemical reac- represents the appearance and the mood in the laboratory tions, 1925 (28), and a general chemistry text with P. Job, (32). He lectured in both inorganic and organic chemistry G. Allard, and G. Champetier, 1939 (29). and wrote textbooks in both fields. K. Preis and he wrote the inorganic text with Jaroslav Heyrovský (34). In the Urbain died on November 5, 1938. organic text (35) he introduced a new classification of organic chemicals dependent upon whether a compound was derived from the original hydrocarbon by substitu- Emil Votoček, Organic Chemist-Composer (1872-1950) tion on one, two, or more carbon atoms. He also wrote (8, 31-32) a laboratory manual and a book of exercises in organic chemistry (36). Emil Votoček was born in Arnau (Hostinné nad Labem), Bohemia, on October 5, 1872. After graduating from Votoček received honorary doctorates from the the gymnasium, he attended the School of Commerce in Czech Technical Universities of Prague, 1948 and Brno, Prague where he developed an interest in chemistry. So, 1927, the Universities of Padua, Nancy, and Toulouse, he transferred to the School of Chemistry (now the Prague 1929, and from the Sorbonne. He was an honorary Institute of Chemical Technology) of the Czech Techni- member of the Polish, Italian, Spanish, and Romanian cal University. In 1893 he received a diploma with the Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) 39 chemical societies, the Société de Chimie Industrielle, in 300 articles. One of his main research interests was and the Société Chimique de France, which awarded saccharides, especially methylpentoses. This interest him the Le Blanc Medal; and he was named Officier was developed during his stay in Göttingen, where he de la Légion d’Honneur and Officier de l’Instruction worked with Bernard C. G. Tollens, who was noted for Publique. Other honors included the Ordine Corona his research of the chemistry of saccharides. He studied d’Italia and Commander of Poland’s Order of Polonia the derivatives of rhammose, L- fucose and its D-isomer, Restituta, 1932. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize which he named rhodeose. To describe two sugars that in Chemistry in 1933, a year in which it was not awarded can be converted into each other, he invented the term (32). However, one of his students, Vladimir Prelog, epimers and the term epimerization for the reaction. He received the Nobel Prize in 1975 for his research into introduced the use of nitrous acid in the oxidation of sug- the stereochemistry of organic molecules and reactions, ars and synthesized a number of saccahrides and saccah- which he shared with John Cornforth for his work on the ride acids and alcohols. Some of his efforts were devoted stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. On the to nomenclature in carbohydrates and (with Alexander centenary of his birth, 1972, a commemorative medal Sommer-Batěk) in inorganic compounds. He also served was minted and is awarded by the Rector of the Prague on the IUPAC Commission on the Nomenclature of Or- Institute of Chemical Technology as the highest recogni- ganic Chemistry. One of his studies on the derivatives tion of scientific activity, of carbazole led to its application as an analytical reagent (Votoček’s reagent) for the determination of sulfite in the He played the double bass in addition to being a presence of thiosulfate and thionate. He also introduced musicologist and composer. Among the 70 songs and the use of sodium nitroprusside as an indicator in mer- works for piano and ensembles he wrote are Allegretto curimetric titrations. A more comprehensive account of grazioso, 1932, Thema con variazioni for piano and his chemical work can be found in Ref. 32. Soprano Voices, 1934, Trio for Piano, Violin, and Vio- loncello, 1938, Serenade for French Horn and String On February 17, 1906, he married Libuše, the daugh- Quartet, 1943, Czech Polka, 1944, From Dawn to Dusk ter of an Austro-Hungarian minister; they had two sons of Life, 1945, and The May Fairy Tale, 1949. In 1946 and a daughter. He died October 11, 1950 in Prague. he published the book, Musical Dictionary of Foreign Expressions and Phrases (37). Contemporary Chemist-Composers Among his many literary achievements were several The tradition of chemist-composers continues to the chemical dictionaries for different languages: Shorter twenty-first century as illustrated by the activities of three German-Czech and French-Czech Chemical-Technical contemporary chemist-composers, E. L. Bearer, Morris Dictionary with B. Setlík, 1906 (38); Czech-German- French-English-Italian-Latin Chemical Dictionary, 1941 Kates, and Carlo Botteghi. (39). He also published several for other sciences: Czech- E. L. Bearer, Biochemist-Composer (8, 45) French-Terminological and Phraseological Dictionary for Chemistry, Physics and Related Sciences, 1924 (40); Elaine L. Bearer was born on April 1, 1949 in New Jersey. Polish-Czech Chemical Dictionary with Partial Regard Her early education began at age 6, and by age 9, the to Mathematics, Physics, Geometry and Mineralogy, first performance of one of her compositions took place. 1931 (41). Two dictionaries dealt with the Czech and After studies at Juilliard Prep School, she matriculated at French languages: Czech-French Conversation and Carnegie Institute of Technology, where she studied both Phraseology, 1939 (42) and 1924 (40). He published two music and computer science. Composition studies were volumes containing all postmarks used in Bohemia up to with Carolos Surinach, Virgil Thompson, Don Wilkins, 1918 (43). In 1929 he started the journal Collection of and Nicolai Lopatniff. She left Carnegie Tech after two Czechoslovak Chemical Communications with Jaroslav years to travel to Paris, where she worked with Nadia Heyrovský, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Boulanger, the famed composition teacher. Returning to in 1959 for work in polarography. They also served as New York, with an interest in computer "algorhythms" to the editors until the journal ceased publication in 1939. generate sound, she completed a B. Music in 1970 from When the journal resumed publication after World War the Manhattan School of Music. From 1970 to 1973 she II in 1947, Heyrovský continued as sole editor (44). was an instructor in music history and appreciation at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Then she was recruited Votoček’s research on artificial dyestuffs, carbohy- to San Francisco by Lone Mountain College as an Assis- drates, and analysis of natural products was published 40 Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008)

tant Professor of these dynamics by using model systems, including squid Music in 1973, giant axon, transport of Herpes simplex virus, and human a f t e r h a v i n g blood platelets. Some of her recent studies address fun- withdrawn from damental questions pertaining to learning and memory. the Ph.D. pro- She has published 45 papers on her research and is the gram at NYU, editor of Cytoskeleton in Development (47) and co-editor which awarded of Nature and Nurture (48). her an M. A. in Musicology in the same year. Carlo Botteghi, Industrial Chemist-Composer (1938- After teaching 2002) (49,50) composition at Lone Mountain, Carlo Botteghi was born in La Spezia, Italy, on March Elaine L. Bearer SF State Univer- 5, 1938. In 1963 he graduated in chemistry from the sity, and the San University of Pisa. He continued there as a Lecturer of Francisco Conservatory, she decided to attend medical Organic Chemistry in the Faculty of Engineering until school. While preparing at Stanford University, she was a 1968. Then he took a research position at ETH (Polytech- postgraduate research assistant in neuroscience with John nic Institute) in Zürich, Switzerland, as Forschungsassist- Nicholls and a teaching assistant for Donald Kennedy. ent and Oberassistent. He was also Lecturer in Organic She was the first graduate from the M.D.-Ph.D. program Chemistry in the Faculty of Engineering and Director of at University of California, San Francisco in 1983. the high pressure laboratory. In 1975 he became Profes- Then she served a residency in pathology there for two sor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Sassari, years. After a year at the Centre Medial Universitaire, Italy, and Director of the Institute of Applied Chemi- University of Geneva, Switzerland, she returned for a stry. After ten years he became Professor of Industrial postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry with Bruce M. Chemistry at the Alberts. In 1991 she joined the Department of Pathology Università Ca' and Medicine of Brown University as Assistant Professor. Foscari di Vene- One year later she was appointed Adjunct Assistant Pro- zia (University fessor in the Department of Music. After six years, she of Venice), Italy. was promoted to Associate Professor in both departments In addition to and Professor in 2004 in the Department of Pathology teaching vari- and Medicine and in 2005 in the Department of Music ous courses in and in 2006 in the Division of Engineering. Since 1993 the area of indus- she has served as Director and Codirector of The San trial chemistry, Lucas Health Project, which provides the indigenous he served as Di- Maya of the San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala region with rector of Depart- free year-round primary health care. ment of Chem- istry for two 3- One musical composition, The Nicholls Trio: A year terms. Musical Biography of a Scientist, is dedicated to her Carlo Botteghi from (50) mentor, John Nicholls (45, 46). The final movement was inspired by electrical patterns in the neurons of leeches, He studied piano and music composition privately which Nicholls studied. The piece was premiered at the and has been registered in the Music Section of the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in 1994. Italian National Register of Authors since 1960. As a Her Magdalene Passion (45, 46), an hour-long oratorio musicologist, he concentrated mainly on Pietro Mas- for chorus, orchestra, and five soloists, was premiered in cagni (1863-1945), who was one of the important Italian 2000 by the Providence Singers under Julian Wachner composers at the turn of the 20th century, best known for his first masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana. He was In her research in molecular biology of actin-cyto- a noted Mascagni scholar or Mascagnano and the head skeleton, Bearer investigates dynamic cellular behavior. of the Centro Studi Mascagnani of Livorno. In 1995 he Presently, she uses a range of microscopic imaging and wrote the music for the song Mascagni with words by molecular techniques to understand the mechanisms of Luigi Biagioni. It may be found on a CD entitled Cieli Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) 41 di Toscana (Tuscan Heavens) performed by the popular science. Dur- Italian singer, Andrea Bocelli. In 1981 Carlo Botteghi ing his univer- wrote Magari tu and Una giornata senza te with words by sity studies he Antonio Strinna. His book, Le Suggestioni della Musica took courses in (The Splendor of Music) was published in 1992 (51). In music harmony, 1997 he published an essay on the opera, Parsina, entitled counterpoint, Parisina –il dramma musicale di Gabriele D’Annunzio e and composition Pietro Mascagni (Parisina-the musical drama by Gabriele and played in the D’Annunzio and Pietro Mascagni) (52). University of To- ronto Orchestra. Botteghi published 150 papers in organic chemistry, When he was homogeneous catalysis, hydroformylation, and carbon- at the National ylation. One of his interests was conservation of build- Research Coun- ings, and he did research in the synthesis of polymeric cil, he played in Morris Kates from (53) materials for this use. From 1995 to 1998 he also taught orchestras and Conservation of Materials in Historical Buildings at the string quartets in Ottawa. His first formal composition Architecture University Institute in Venice. in 1946 was Theme and Variations for Piano, which Botteghi died suddenly on September 19, 2002 and was revised for strings in 1964. In 1990 he composed was survived by his first wife, Maria Grazia Bacci, and Columbus for baritone and full orchestra, and two years their two sons and his second wife, Vera Bellagamba, later, Festive Suite for Brass Quintet and Strings. His and their son. composition for choir and string quartet Water—Source of Life was released in 2000. He is an Associate Composer with the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers. Morris Kates, Biochemist-Composer (53,54) Kates has published about 220 articles on the analy- Born in Galati, Romania, on September 30, 1923, Morris sis, structure determination, biosynthesis, and membrane Kates was brought to Ottawa, Canada, one year later. He function of cellular phospholipids, the nutritional value received a B.A., 1945, M.A., 1946, and a Ph.D., 1948 of lipids, and the production of biodiesel fuel. One of from the University of Toronto. After receiving his his research projects was the discovery and study of a doctorate, he continued at the University as a postdoc- new class of glycerol-diether lipids in bacteria named toral fellow and then moved to the National Research Archaea that live in extreme environments. He is cur- Council of Canada, where he was first a Postdoctoral rently associated with the Ottawa Biodiesel Research Fellow (1950-1951), and then a research scientist until Group in the Department of Chemical Engineering at 1968. In that year, he transferred to the Department of the University of Ottawa, whose “main objective is to Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, as Professor, where produce biodiesel in a cost-effective way by overcoming he remained until he retired in 1989 as Professor Emeri- several barriers to biodiesel profitability”(56). tus. During his tenure at the University of Ottawa, he served as Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry His books include Techniques of Lipidology: Isola- (1982-1985) and Vice-Dean (Research), Faculty of Sci- tion, Analysis, and Identification of Lipids, which is now ence and Engineering. In 1995 he was named the Morton in the second edition (57). In 1980 he and Arnisa Kuk- Lecturer, an award by the Biochemical Society to a lec- sis edited Membrane Fluidity: Biophysical Techniques turer who has made an outstanding contribution to lipid and Cellular Regulation (58), and four years later, with biochemistry. He also received the Supelco Award for Lionel A. Manson, he edited Membrane Fluidity – Bio- lipid research from the American Oil Chemist Society membranes, Vol. 12 (59). In 1990 he edited Glycolipids, in 1981. An issue of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology Phosphoglycolipids, and Sulfoglycolipids, which is vol- in 1990 was dedicated to him in honor of his valuable ume 6 of the Handbook of Lipid Research (60). Three contributions to biochemistry in Canada (55). years later he coedited The Biochemistry of Archaea (Archaebacteria), New Comprehensive Biochemistry, Kates developed his twin passions for science and Vol. 26, with D.J. Kushner and A.T. Matheson (61). music during his youth and began studying violin at the age of 11. By the time he was in high school, he began Kates is married to Pirkko Helena Makinen, and they composing music and exploring the world of laboratory have three children and seven grandchildren. 42 Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008)

Observations 3. S. Lowengard, George Berg and the SoA: Interest, Im- provement and the Meaning of a Practical Engagement, The chemist-composers described above are experimen- http://georgeberg.blogspot.com/. tal chemists; two amateur chemist, two biochemists, an 4. W. A. Campbell, “Musical Glasses,” Chem. Br., 1989, 25, 145-148. industrial chemist, an inorganic chemist, two organic 5. R. Fiske and G. Gifford, “Berg, George,” Grove Music chemists, and a polymer chemist, but none is a physical Online, in L. Macy, Ed., http://www.grovemusic.com. or theoretical chemists. In performing experimental work, (Accessed July 22, 2006), one sometimes involves “hunches” in solving problems, 6. J. Harley, British Harpsichord Music, Ashgate Publishing which may be more similar to the brain processes used Co., Brookfield, VT, 1994, Vol. 2, 124. in composing music than the abstract reasoning needed 7. E. H. Delaval, A Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl in solving problems in physical or theoretical chemistry. of Morton, President of the Royal Society. Containing This does not apply to chemist-performers because some Experiments and Observations on the Agreement between are physical chemists (e.g., Wilhelm Ostwald). Nor does the Specific Gravities of the Several Metals, and Their Colours When United to Glass it apply to several of the scientist-composers who are also , Read at the Royal Society Jan. 24, 1765 (London, 1765). mathematicians and physicists (62). It may be that the 8. C. C. Wamser and C. A. Wamser, “Chemist-Composers: sample of nine chemist-composers is too small to derive An Explosive Combination,” Chem. Heritage, 1997, 15, any correlation between the area of chemistry pursued 35. by the chemist-composers and their music. 9. S. Mundy, Elgar: His Life and Times, Paganiniana Pub- lications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ, 1981. ACKOWLEDGMENT 10. Elgar Society, Biography, http://www.elgar.org/2english. htm; D. McVeagh, “Elgar, Sir Edward (William),” in L. I thank Professor Elaine L. Bearer for her comments Macy, Ed., Grove Music Online http://www.grovemusic. com. (Accessed January 23, 2007), and picture, Professor Morris Kates for his comments, 11. Ref. 9, p77 Professor Giorgio Strukul for the information on Carlo 12. W. H. Reed, Elgar as I Knew Him, Gollanez, London, Botteghi, Professors Sarah Lowengard and William 1978, 39. H. Brock for their comments and for bringing George 13. J. Read, Prelude to Chemistry, An Outline of Alchemy, Berg to my attention, and Ms. Eva Feiglova, Professors The M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, MA, 1936, 14. Frantisek Jursik and Jan Rocek, and Dr. Michal Hocek 14. J. R. Partington, A Short History of Chemistry, Harper & for their comments on Emil Votoček. Brothers, New York, NY, 1957, 3rd ed., 109. 15. J. R. Partington, A History of Chemistry, Macmillan & Co., Ltd., London, 1962, Vol 3, 670. REFERENCES AND NOTES 16. Encyclopedia Britannica, The Encyclopedia Britannica Co., New York, 1911, 11th ed., Vol. 6, 60. * Presented at the Symposium on “Chemist-Composers: 17. A. Lavoisier, Elements of Chemistry, R. Kerr, Translator, Their Chemistry and Music” cosponsored by the Divi- Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1965, 202. sion of the History of Chemistry, The Chemical Heritage 18. G. Auckland, “Sir Edward Elgar,” Chem. Br., 1986, 22, Foundation, and the Chemical Society of Washington at 1084. the 231st American Chemical Society National Meeting, 19. W. McNaught, “Elgar Birthplace,” The Musical Times Atlanta, GA, March 26-29, 2006, HIST 030. and Singing Class Circular, June 1947, 185-189. 20. E. W. Atkins, The Elgar-Atkins Friendship, David & 1. For example: G. E. H. Abraham, Borodin: The Composer Charles, Newton Abbot, UK, 1984, 185. and His Music, William Reeves, London, 1927; N. A. 21. M. Kennedy, Portraits of Elgar, Oxford University Press, Figurovskii and Yu. I. Solov’ev, Aleksandr P. Borodin: Oxford, 1968, 188. a Chemist's Biography, C. Steinberg and G. B. Kauff- 22. R. E. Oesper, “Georges Urbain,” J. Chem. Educ., 1938, man (Translators), Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1988; G. B. 15, 201. Kauffman, I. D. Rae, Yu. I. Solov’ev, and C. Steinberg, 23. G. Champetier and C. H. Boatner, “Georges Urbain,” J. “Borodin, Composer and Chemist,” Chem. Eng. News, Chem. Educ., 1940, 17, 103-109. 1987, 65(7), 28-35. 24. http://genchem.chem.wisc.edu/lab/PTL/PTL/CHEM- 2. For example: C. A. Wamser and C. C. Wamser, “Lejaren ISTS/urbain.html A. Hiller, Jr., A memorial Tribute to a Chemist-composer,” 25. G. Urbain, Le Tombeau d’Aristoxéne. Essai sur la mu- J. Chem. Educ., 1996, 73, 601-7; C. C. Wamser and C. sique, G. Doin, Paris, 1924; Review: C. Seymart, La Rev. A. Wamser, “Computers, Chemistry, Cellos, Chance,” Musicale, 1924-1925, 1, 179-180. Chem. Heritage, 1997, 15, 8-9; http://www-amil.music. 26. G. Urbain, Introduction à l’étude de la spectrochimie, uiuc.edu/Projects/EAM/Hiller.html. Hermann, Paris, 1911. Bull. Hist. Chem., VOLUME 33, Number 1 (2008) 43

27. G. Urbain and A. Sénéhal, Introduction à la chimie des 48. C. Garcia-Coll, E. L. Bearer, and R. Lerner, Ed., Nature complexes, Hermann, Paris, 1913. and Nurture: The complex interplay of genetic and en- 28. G. Urbain, L’énergétique des reactions chimiques, Doin, vironmental influences on human behavior and develop- Paris, 1925. ment, Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, 2004. 29. G. Urbain, P. Job, G. Allard, and G. Champetier, Traité 49. Obituary; Chim. Ind. (Milan, Italy), 2003, 85, 46. de chimique générale, Hermann, Paris, 1939. 50. Giorgio Strukul, personal communication. 30. G. B. Kauffman and F. Jursík, “How sweet it is! -The life 51. C. Botteghi, Le Suggestioni della Musica, Piovan Publish- of Emil Votoček,” Chem. Br., 1989, 25, 495, 496, 498. ers, Abano Terme, Italy, 1992. 31. G. B. Kauffman and F. Jursík, “Emil Votoček (1872– 52. C. Botteghi, Parisina –il dramma musicale di Gabriele 1950) on the 125th Anniversary of His Birth.” Chem. D’Annunzio e Pietro Mascagni, il Gabbiano, Livorno, Heritage, 1997, 15 (1), 42–43. Italy, 1997. 32. G. B. Kauffman, F. Jursík, and I. D. Rae, “Emil Votocek 53. Science: Art Morris Kates: “'The God of Lipids' Plays (1872-1950): A Tribute to the Chemist-Composer-Lexi- On,” http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay. cographer,” J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76, 511- 519. html?DOC=library\kates.html. 33. František Jursík, personal communication. 54. Morris Kates, private communication. 34. E. Votoček and K. Preis with Jaroslav Heyrovský, An- 55. Biochem. Cell Biol., 1990, 68(1), 1-399. organická chemie; 2nd ed., Česká společnost pro vĕdu a 56. Ottawa Biodiesel Research Group.http://www.genie. průmysl, Prague, 1922, 1925, 1940, 1945. uottawa.ca/research/rsrch_chg.php?section=&lang=e& 35. E. Votoček, Chemie organická, Česká chemická dpt=0&id=16. společnost, Prague, Vol. 1, 1912, 1927, 1949; Vol. 2, 57. M. Kates, Techniques of Lipidology: Isolation, Analysis, 1916, 1930. and Identification of Lipids, American Elsevier Pub. Co., 36. a) E. Votoček, Návody ke cvičení v organické chemii, Inc., New York, 1973, North-Holland/American Elsevier, Česká chemická společnost, Prague, 2nd ed., 1910, b) Amsterdam, 1972, Elsevier, New York, 2nd ed., 1986. E. Votoček, Cviceni v chemii organicke, Česká chemická 58. M. Kates and A. Kuksis, Ed., Membrane Fluidity; Bio- společnost, Prague, 2nd ed., 1910, physical Techniques and Cellular Regulation, Humana 37. E. Votoček, Hudební slovnik cizích výrazů a rčení, Press, Totowa, NJ, 1980. Hudební matice umĕlecké besedy, Prague, 1946. 59. M. Kates and L. A. Manson, Ed., Membrane Fluid- 38. B. Setlík and E. Votoček, Příruční slovník chemicko- ity—Biomembranes. Plenum Press, New York, NY, 1984, technický, nĕmecko-český a francouzsko-český, nákladem Vol. 12. Společnosti českých chemiků a Matice slovesné, Prague, 60. M. Kates, Ed., Lipids, Phosphoglycolipids, and Sulfogly- 1906. colipids, Plenum Press, New York, 1990. 39. E. Votoček, Chemický slovník, česko-nĕmecko-fran- 61. M. Kates, D. J. Kushner, and A. T. Matheson, Ed., The couzsko-anglicko-italsko-latinský, Technicko-vĕdecké Biochemistry of Archaea (Archaebacteria), Elsevier, New vydavatelství, Prague, 2nd ed., 1952. York, 1993, Vol. 26. 40. E. Votoček, Česko-francouzský slovník terminologický a 62. R. S. Root-Bernstein, “Music, Creativity and Scientific fraseologický pro chemii, fysiku a vĕdy příbuzné, nákla- Thinking,” Leonardo, 2001, 34, 63-68. dem Československé chemické společnosti pro vědu a průmysl, Prague, 1924. ABOUT THE AUTHOR 41. E. Votoček, Chemický slovník polsko-český s částečným zřetelem na mathematiku, fysiku, geometrii a mineralogii, Leopold May is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at The nákladem České akademie pro vĕdy, slovesnost a umĕní, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064. Prague, 1931. Other work on the History of Chemistry may be found 42. E. Votoček, Česko-francouzská konversace a fraseologie; on his website: http://faculty.cua.edu/may/. His other rev. by J. Gagnaire, A. Neubert, Prague, 1939. research is in infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy and 43. E. Votoček, Monografie československých známek, 13. /14. díl, Česká poštovní razítka od nejstarších dob do the efflux of drugs from yeast. An informal association, rokut, 1918, Prague, 1975. Society for the Propagation of the Music of the Chem- 44. Michal Hocek, personal communication. ist-Composers, has been formed to publicize the music 45. E. L. Bearer, Research, http://research.brown.edu/my- of chemist-composers, including those discussed in this research/Elaine_Bearer; E. L. Bearer, Music, http://re- paper (http://faculty.cua.edu/SPMCC.htm). May@cua. search.brown.edu/myresearch/Elaine_Bearer - MUSIC. edu. 46. Available from Albany Records, Troy 189, P.O. Box 5011, Albany, NY, 12205. 47. E. L. Bearer, Ed., Cytoskeleton in Development, Academic Press, New York, 1992.